Zoids New Century 001:  The Zenevas Chronicles
by Zoidmagnite
Summary: The Blitz Team is busy getting ready for their entry as the rookie Class S team. Little do they know how much their lives are about to change. No one has heard a thing from the Backdraft since the Royal Cup, and that has a few people really worried.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1: The End Of The Beginning

The figure of a bald gentleman in a Zoid Battle Commission blue uniform appeared on Doctor Steve Toros' desktop monitor."Good morning, Doctor Toros."

"Good morning to you as well, Admiral Braimen." Toros strained a smile, and adjusted his desk chair on the command bridge of the Blitz Team Hover Cargo Transport. "How may the Blitz Team serve the Zoid Battle Commission today?" His eyes felt heavy, and he stifled a yawn amidst the early morning video conference. No one had made coffee yet.

The older man smirked on Toros' monitor. "Relax, Doctor, there are no more public events scheduled for the Blitz Team." Braimen folded his arms on his desktop. "In fact, we at the ZBC would like to inform you that we will be expecting your arrival at the Commission Headquarters this coming June. The sixth to be exact. In the meantime, we would like to extend our thanks for your appearances on our behalf and wish you a restful time until then." The Admiral unfolded his arms, reached for a mug of coffee, and took a long sip.

Toros raised an eyebrow. "But that's six month's from now?"

Braimen set the cup down, and nodded in the monitor video conference application window on Toros' desktop. "Normally, the Zoid Battle Commission gives the Royal Cup winning team three months off, before starting Class S." The man turned sideways on the monitor screen, and accepted some paperwork from a woman. "However, everyone here at the ZBC is aware of the unsanctioned battles the Blitz Team has fought against the Backdraft Group." Braimen huffed through the video conference monitor. "Nearly twice as many battles as a normal Class A season. As a result of this unusual situation, we have elected to extend your report date for Class S."

Toros leaned back in his chair. He nodded. "Thank you, Admiral, we could really enjoy extra time off."

Braimen raised his hand in acknowledgment. "This extended reporting date will have no effect on your standings as the Rookie Class S Team. Enjoy your time Dr. Toros." Braimen leaned forward. "Your team has most certainly earned it."

"We appreciate it."

"And, Doctor Toros?"

"Yes, Admiral?"

Braimen leaned closer on Toros' monitor. "I've been wondering when you were going to finally get back to Class S."

Toros looked down from the camera projecting his image. His face went blank. "It's been a tough road, Paul."

"I most certainly understand." The monitor showed Braimen as he leaned back, and had another sip of coffee. "How's Leena?"

Toros looked straight into the camera. "It's like looking at her mother." He shook his head. "And behind her eyes, every ounce of her grandfather's fury."

Braimen turned the chair sideways on Toros' monitor, his eyes looked off camera. "It's funny how DNA works. Dad was undoubtedly a hothead, but my sister and I were exactly the opposite. More like our mother. And, yet, there is Leena. A nearly perfect copy of my sister, but with every ounce of her grandfather's rage." He shook his head, and returned a smile as he looked back through Toros' monitor.

"I have often wondered if the two of them would be furious friends, or loving enemies." Toros folded his arms and set his elbows on the desk. "She fights with the same intensity as he did."

Braimen laughed on monitor screen. "Between her, and Dad, I'd wager they could spend eight thousand dollars worth of ammunition in fifteen seconds."

Toros laughed in unison with Braimen.

Braimen straightened himself up, and faced forward on Dr. Toros' monitor. "Doctor, I would be delighted if you would stop by, and see me when the Blitz Team reports. It's been too long."

"I am certain I can find the time, Paul."

The two men nodded, and the video conference application window on Toros' desktop went blank.

Toros sat back in his chair. His eyes scanned his desktop, which displayed a few Zoid models from his vast collection. He realized that it had been over a year since he had spoken with Braimen.

From his desk on the Bridge of the Hover Cargo, Doctor Toros looked across the open area of the command deck, and his mind drifted back in time. A time that was nearly twenty years ago. He remembered Leena's grandparents as they smiled, and congratulated his team for winning The Royal Cup. The vision continued to play out. Next, came the memory of Leena's mother basking in joy. And then Toros remembered Leena's grandfather handing him the keycard to the Hover Cargo. A reward for the Class A victory of his Zoid Team.

Toros came back to reality, and glanced at the time-sheets control system monitor. The date was digitally compressed in the screen's upper right hand corner. He mumbled. "Twenty years ago next week. The week Oscar's Raynos would crash, and slam into Layon's Great Saber, destroying it. We were just practicing maneuvers on the desert plains."

Toros remembered the accident from his past. Layon had been rushed to the hospital. The spinal damage from the accident would disqualify Toros' friend as a pilot in the ZBC. Toros sighed. "Oscar wouldn't go near a Raynos after that. And Layon couldn't pilot a Zoid no matter what." Toros arranged a Zoids model group of a Blue Cannon Fort, a Dark Red Saber Tiger and a Blue Raynos in the center of his desktop. "Twenty years ago, and it all fell apart."

Behind the Zoids models on Toros' desk sat a photo taken a month ago. Toros looked at the image of his Blitz Team at the Royal Cup Award Ceremony. Their faces smiled and showed an excitement he remembered all too well. Toros stood, and looked down at his desk. "We're back, again. This time, we'll make it to the end of the beginning." Toros smirked, and then realized that it was nine o'clock in the morning. He cocked an eyebrow. "Hey, wait a minute?" He folded his arms across his chest and scanned the entire command deck of the Hover Cargo. "Where the heck is everyone?"


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2: Fortune, Fame And Fashion

Leena Toros finished dressing for the morning. With a bagel clutched in her teeth, she sat down at the computer screen in her private room on the Hover Cargo's upper deck. She bit through the stiff dough, and grabbed the bread as it began to fall away from her mouth. She chewed slowly.

The standard desktop interface glowed on her computer monitor. The mail icon pulsed in the upper right corner of the screen.

She touched the button on her keyboard, which opened her e-mail program. She closed her eyes. "Please let there be just one e-mail." She opened her eyes, her expression dressed in hope. As her view drifted toward the Inbox Icon, she read the number of new messages and winced. "Six hundred and eighty-three new messages!" She broke into a rage, and threw the partially eaten bagel at the monitor.

The bagel bounced out of her view.

"Will it ever end?" Her fists landed on the display screen guard.

The monitor hummed slowly back to a standstill.

Leena squinted her eyes as the mental images of several bad dates haunted her memory. "I am not a celebrity you under-challenged, womanizing boneheads! I am a Zoid Pilot! Not some frilly little bimbo star!" She paused, the veins in her neck bulged. "IDIOTS!"

With all the rage that made her a force on the Battlefield, Leena's eyes went wild with anger. She imagined herself in her Gun Sniper. She pushed the controls, and placed it in a crouched position. In front of her, six hundred eighty-three loser men ran toward her in a mob. The evil in her smile matched the anger in her eyes as she flipped the hatch release button on the Wild Weasel unit access controls. Her eyes gazed at the yellow button marked "Full On." It was her favorite button. She pushed the button and the missile launchers opened. Leena moved her thumb to press the simultaneous launch button. The imaginary Gun Sniper cockpit shook as hundreds of missiles rammed their way out of their storage holders and into the air.

With clenched teeth, Leena watched the imaginary missiles balloon outward in front of her, and then pull back together as they descended on the group of six hundred eighty-three loser men. Plumes of smoke, and dust arose amidst the explosions on the ground. As the dust cloud dissipated, not a trace of a loser man could be seen. Satisfied, Leena pulled her finger from the Remove Spam button on the her keyboard. The inbox icon plainly stated two messages.

The first message she read was from her teammate, Jamie. It was a short note that he and Bit were going to town to look for Zoid parts.

The second message was from Chris Tasker.

Leena blinked.

The second message was definitely there. The spinning movie-reel icon to the right of the title told her it was a video message. She read the message title eight times.

Hi!

Leena thought for a moment, and in the privacy of her room, she spoke out loud. "I don't really have any animosity towards the Tasker Sisters. Their Lightning Saix Zoids were fast, but we evened the score in the Royal Cup."

Leena put her thumb in her mouth, and bit down. "Why is Chris emailing me?" She searched her memory, tried to find an unfinished conversation, an invitation, any sort of reason she could think of that Chris Tasker would want to send her a video message. Nothing came to her mind. Leena sighed, and shrugged her shoulders. "It's just a video message." She clicked the link.

The video message opened on Leena's monitor, and the face, and bust of Chris Tasker was centered in the video. The video angle told Leena that it was sent via a vid-box. The background behind the Zoid pilot told Leena that Chris had sent the message from The Judges Chambers, a local club where Zoid Pilots hung out. A place she now avoided without a well-crafted disguise. Leena clicked the "Play" button on her keyboard.

The video of Chris smiled in a friendly, and nervous manner as it played on Leena's monitor. "Hi Leena!" Chris' voice sounded friendly, and awkward. "Hey, I'm sorry to bother you, but I was wondering if you knew what Bit's favorite color was? He and I are going to the Summer Fest tomorrow night, and I wanted to pick a dress in that color. I thought you might know, since your team traveled a lot in the Hover Cargo. If I hear from you great, if not I understand." The video of Chris cocked her head. She smiled, and waived. "Hope to hear from you. Bye."

The video message closed.

Leena reclined back into her desk chair, and crossed her legs. "I've been so busy dating losers that I never really noticed what the others were doing." Her mind drifted back over the last few weeks that followed the Blitz Team winning the Royal Cup. "We were together for all of those social events, the Zoid Battle Commission call-outs and the ZBC Young Fans events." Leena's focus detoured. "Those young Zoid fans were amazing. Those kids know more about my battle history than I do. How do they remember all of that stuff? Why? Where's Brad been lately?" Then Leena just blurted it out. "Green." She remembered the color, and she remembered it coming out from one of her, and Bit's many bouts in the Hover Cargo Lounge. She just couldn't remember when.

Leena hit the "Reply" menu option to Chris Tasker's video-mail. She selected a text message. Leena typed ."Hi" and then tapped in "Bit's favorite color is green. Bright green. Like grass." Leena typed a couple of returns, copied, and pasted her signature file. She moved the mouse over the send button, and paused. She tried three times to click on it, but her finger stopped. She looked down at her pink blouse, and white pants. Leena shook her head. "I hate green." She forcefully tapped the send button.

The "Sent Box" icon popped open, and closed on Leena's monitor.

Leena decided she was going shopping today. She wanted a new dress. She had already picked out the color in her mind. Purple.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3: Foxes And Foxes

Brad Hunter sat at the bar in the Rusty Gator Bar and Grill with a drink. Smoke wafted about the air in the bar, and the dark interior, and furnishings, created an atmosphere that allowed him to feel like he could disappear amidst the interior. He smiled at the bartender. "I've been waiting for a long time to finally cash in." He raised his glass, and toasted the ceiling, "Here's to you, AC. You got me half the way there. Thanks."

The balding bartender grunted, and shook his head. "You Zoid pilots sure are an odd lot."

Brad nodded to the bartender and took a drink of the Scotch. It tasted like crap. That's what he liked about it. He could spend an hour choking down a Scotch, or ten minutes on a beer. _I can't afford to get drunk, but I do want to drink._ He looked at the clock over the bar, which told him he worked this glass for almost an hour. There was one swallow left._ Looks like I'm right on schedule._

The Rusty Gator's entrance door creaked open, and then closed, behind Brad, followed by the stride of what he was sure was boots. They had a familiar rhythm, and Brad could have cared less until they stopped right behind him. He looked down at the drink in front of him. _This is why I love you Scotch. I'm sober enough for anything_.

"All that prize money, and you still live like your broke." It was the voice of a woman.

"I only wear one coat, but I think you already knew that." Brad smiled at his drink glass, and turned around to face someone he had always found interesting.

His eyes locked on to Naomi Fluegel's, and the two looked like two wolves ready to play, or fight, whichever seemed more interesting at the moment.

Naomi cocked her head. "There aren't too many coats for a guy like you, Brad."

"I wouldn't suspect there are many dresses in your closet either, Naomi." Brad swirled his glass of Scotch. "So, where's your teammate?" He squinted his eyes at Naomi. "The one with the Kitty?"

Naomi rolled her eyes, put her hand on her hip, and rested on one leg in a pose that was both defensive and inviting. "We work together. That's it."

Brad smiled at her answer. "Well then, may I buy you a drink, or am I back in your cross-hairs these days?"

Naomi looked upward, as though she were searching for something. "Thanks to those punks with the Sinkers, I believe I still owe you." She set her gaze on Brad, and slowly smiled.

Brad waved his hand. "Aw yeah, but I'm not the least bit interested in collecting on that right now. That card is too valuable."

"Then I suppose I will let you buy me a drink." Naomi straightened up and pointed her finger at Brad like a makeshift gun. "Just don't forget that I hold the other fifty-one cards of that deck."

"Any card from your deck, Naomi, is a treasure." Brad finished his Scotch, and rattled the ice in the empty glass. "I haven't looked to see if mine is Hearts or Spades." He turned around, and motioned the bartender over. "What'll you have?"

Naomi stepped up to the Bar next to Brad. "I'll have a Cold Blue Steel on the rocks. And a table."

The bartender nodded.

Brad set his glass down on the counter and pushed it toward the bartender. "I'll have another Scotch, on the rocks."

Brad received the two drinks from the bartender. He stood, and followed Naomi to a table in the far corner of the bar. _I suppose there are worse places to be than stuck between two foxes_.

The two pilots slid into benches on either side of a well worn wooden table. Brad set Naomi's drink down on the table, and slowly pushed the glass toward her across the marred varnish tabletop. He took his hand away from the drink, and noticed something was wrong with Naomi's expression.

Naomi picked the glass up, and drank a fourth of the stout liquor down. Her lips, moistened by the drink, glistened in the simple light that hung above the booth. She looked at the drink.

Brad waited patiently for her to say something.

Naomi licked her lips. "I have heard some rumblings from my sources that the Backdraft Group might be seeking retribution for the humiliation they received during the Royal Cup." Naomi placed both hands on her drink glass. "It's unusual for me not to hear something about their plans. But nobody knows anything and that has me, well, concerned."

Brad sipped his fresh glass of crap on the rocks. "And they have such a special love for our team."

Naomi looked up at him. Her eyes flashed. "Look, this is not some kind of joke." She cocked her head, and narrowed her eyes. "When the Backdraft gets this quiet something really bad happens to somebody." Naomi crossed her legs. "And, all things aside, I would not like to see anything happen to … the Blitz Team." She frowned at Brad. "Do you get my point?"

Brad's eyes widened, and he straightened up. "Easy, I wasn't chiding your concern, but they've always picked the fights with us." Brad raised his hand in gesture. "I do get your point, but what's done is done and I can't change any of that. Even if I wasn't the focus of their attention, I will be eventually as long as I have the Shadow Fox."

Naomi's frown softened to a mild stare.

Brad enjoyed looking at Naomi's face, though he never broke his poker expression while did it. He knew that would only piss her off, and no matter how interested he was in witnessing such an event, he had no interest in being the cause of it.

"There are very few things in this world that are important to me, Hunter." Naomi's face was stern. "I don't have a thing for dead men."

Brad leaned over the table. "What do you think I should do?"


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4: Money, Junk, And Blondes

Jamie walked along side of Bit, his eyes oscillated between the screen of his comp board, and the cracked sidewalk that they traveled. "I've been looking over the rules for Class S. They're really complicated."

Bit wrinkled his brow. "What do you mean, complicated?"

They made their way toward the edge of the southern side of Capital City.

"Well, for one thing the battlefields are huge." Jamie stared wide-eyed at the comp board. "Wow. Some of these Teams have been in Class S for eight years."

Bit smiled. "Well that just makes for better opponents."

Jamie looked concerned. "It also makes for lots of repairs. It says we get a stipend for being in Class S as long as we maintain an annual victory rate of forty-five percent. Otherwise, the next year is out of our pocket."

Bit put his hand on Jamie's shoulder. "We can't change the rules, so lets just enjoy the time we got. Lighten up. We can buy some of those CP-18 Impact Cannons for your Raynos. After all, you'll be fighting in there with us. You could use the extra firepower."

Jamie's eyes widened. "Me? Fight in Class S?" He dropped the comp board, grumbled, reached down, and picked the device up of the sidewalk.

"See?" Bit leaned forward. "You think too much, Jamie." Bit straightened, and extended his arms outward. "Live for today."

Jamie rolled his eyes. Frustration grew inside of him. It seemed like the more he tried to reason with the team, the less they listened to him. He finally gave up on the argument. "We've been to three Zoid junk stores. What are you looking for?"

"Liger needs some stronger bearings in the leg joints when he's in the Panzer Unit CAS. I can think of only one Zoid that has those parts."

Jamie stopped. Was Bit insane? Jamie had studied the specification charts of Zoids as part of his strategy. There was no way to change Liger's performance in the Panzer unit. "What Zoid is that?"

Bit extended his arms outward. "Salamander!" Bit put his arm on Jamie's shoulder. His other hand shook about. "The wing pivot-joint bearing housings of a Salamander Zoid are the same size as Liger's. But! They have a vented housing for the bearing race. It should help reduce Liger's leg joints overheating."

Jamie looked puzzled. Salamanders had been banned from Zoid Competitions long ago as they were considered far too powerful for use in sporting events. So Jamie had no data on the Zoid. "Why would Salamander wing pivot-joint bearings be so unusually large and vented?"

"Because Salamanders were designed to carry weapons up to, and including, the Gojulas Cannons. The more load a Salamander carries, the more often it has to flap those huge wings." Bit flapped the air with his arms. "The bearings were vented to reduce weight, and vent heat." Bit laughed. "And since they're vented, they just happen to dissipate heat really well." Bit smirked. "A specification often overlooked by Zoid customizers."

Jamie stared at Bit. If Bit was right, then it might be possible. But with no data to study, Jamie felt himself once again at the mercy of his wild and crazy teammate. He came to his senses as his past experiences with his team mate came to the forefront of his mind. He was, after all, dealing with Bit Cloud. "How much are these bearings going to cost?"

Bit shrugged. "Who cares? With Liger stable in the Panzer CAS, we'll have a new surprise for our opponents." Bit raised his hands, and closed them into fists. "We'll be ready for the best of Class S!"

Jamie frowned at the all too familiar show that Bit put on. He lowered his arm, and let his comp board hang from his hand at his leg. "How much for the bearings, Bit?"

Bit stroked his chin, and stared at the clouds. "Oh, I don't know. I'd barter for three thousand a bearing. That's about half the price of a new set." Bit squinted his eyes. "Then we'll need new races for the bearings. They should be about one thousand per bearing."

Jamie shook his head. His Zoids specs showed that Liger Zero had sixteen load bearings in all four of its legs. He groaned as they started to walk down the street again. "You spend money on parts like Leena spends money on ammunition."

Bit looked around as they reached the intersection of the outer roads of the city. "What were you saying about Leena, Jamie?"

Jamie rolled his eyes. "Oh nothing. I just wondered if Leena got my message."

Bit pointed across the intersection at a well-used building in front of a fenced-in pile of masses of metal. The parts of many Zoids could be recognized and nearly all showed signs of being well-used. "There it is. Niller's Heavy Metal. They say if you can name a Zoid, Niller's got two parted out in that lot."

Jamie groaned at the junkyard. "Bit, that place looks pretty run down."

Bit smiled. "Why waste money on a pretty building when you could buy a Zoid shell to salvage?"

Jamie shook his head. "Your junking days before finding us must have been pretty grim."

Bit couldn't hear a word of Jamie's comment. He had already headed across the street towards Niller's at a brisk walk.

Jamie walked more slowly as he followed Bit. _No since getting in a hurry. If this Niller has got the parts, Bit will barter and blab for an hour._

"Excuse me?"

Jamie jumped as the sound emulated only a couple of feet behind him. He turned to see a girl who looked about his age. Her blond hair shined in the mid-morning sun, and her blue eyes were full of life. She walked right up to Jamie, and looked slightly upward at him.

"You're Jamie Hemeros from the Blitz Team, right?"

Jamie laughed nervously as he brushed the back of his head. "Uh, yeah. Why do you ask?"

The girl put her hand under her chin, her eyes darted up and down. She looked to be calculating something. In an instant, she was right back up into Jamie's personal space. "I like you." She leaned back away from him, tilted her head, and smiled broadly.

Jamie felt his face become warm. He tried to be polite. "Uh, gee, that's really nice." He took another step back. But the girl, again, walked right up to him.

She looked confused. "Where are you going?" She sounded commanding.

"Well, I have to catch up with my friend-"

The little blond girl raised her hand, and gestured Jamie's comment aside. "I overheard. Uncle Niller has the parts. He'll sell them for Bit's price. Now, walk with me."

The girl took a step while Jamie stood still, confused, and nervous.

The girl stopped, mid-stride, and turned her head toward Jamie. "I said come on." She reached back, and took Jamie's hand. Grasping it firmly, she pulled his arm as she took another step.

Jamie was in a grand state of confusion. As the girl pulled his arm out in front of him, he reluctantly followed. He blushed profusely. He'd never held hands with a girl, and in less than a minute, one said she liked him, walked with him, and now held his hand. He tried to open his fingers to see if his hand could slide away from hers, but she clasped his hand firmly. Jamie closed his hand over the girl's. "Uh . . . where are we going?"

The girl smiled, and turned toward him, her face full of cheer. "There's a great soda shop on the northern edge of town. They make great floats. You'll like them. They're really sweet and creamy."

"Uh, okay." Jamie felt as though he was drowning in awkwardness. "Look, I don't even know you. Could you at least tell me your name?"

The girl turned her head, and smiled. "Sure. It's Tiana."

Jamie tried to relax. "So, why are you so interested in me? Do you want my autograph?

Tiana giggled, and shook her head. "No. Why would I need that. I'm your girlfriend."

Jamie's face went white. "My what?"

Tiana smiled, and clenched his hand tightly. "Jamie, shut up. You think too much. Keep your analyzing on the battlefield. I'm your girlfriend. That's it. We're going on a date to get floats, and then we're going for a walk."

"But what about, Bit?"

"Oh when he finds out that Uncle Niller has the Salamander parts he'll forget all about you." Tiana laughed. "Besides, Uncle Niller already watched me walk off with you. If Bit remembers to ask him, he'll tell him where you went."

Jamie continued to follow Tiana's lead. _My head is spinning. This girl is insane. How did she just decide we're together?_

"Jamie?"

Jamie pulled himself together, and tried to seem a little more relaxed. "Yeah?"

Tiana smiled, and turned to look at him. Those blue eyes commanded attention. "You're muttering. I can hear you." She squeezed his hand, and grinned. "Shut up. We're going to have a good time at the soda shop."

Jamie finally gave up, and followed Tiana down the street.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5: Backdraft

In a dark cave in the center of the Zenevas Continent, a conversation occurred in a marginally-illuminated room. Two black, plush-velvet couches, each with an occupant, sat opposite one another across a large ornate coffee table, on which two tea cups resided diagonally, amidst a stack of file folders.

The voice of an elderly woman spoke from the couch, and chopped each word with a negative emphasis. "Never, in the three hundred years that this family has created, and headed the Backdraft Group, has such an embarrassing event occurred. Tell me why I should not dispose of you, Count Fool?"

Across from woman, on the other couch, sat the near skeletal body of the former head of the Seventh Region of the Backdraft group. Annoyed, he reached for his teacup. "You surrounded me with incompetent fools, and expected me to reap rewards." Count cackled at his facts. "And I did. For nearly eight years now, after you removed Altail from the Council."

The shadow of the large woman scoffed, and reached for her teacup. "Well then, I suppose you should be celebrating." She paused to sip her tea. "Over half of your incompetent staff is now in the custody of the Zoid Battle Commission. Only a fifth of them have reported to the Sixth Region, per protocol. And I suppose the rest -the cowards- just went home." She sat the tea cup down. "Three of the Council of Seven have been arrested. Their families are very upset with me over the matter."

The Count took another sip. He upturned his hand, and waived the comment off. "Well then, I suppose you should be rejoicing, having the heads of three of your most powerful underlings sliced off."

The woman grumbled. "There are some members in the Backdraft that think I should hold you accountable."

Count frowned. "You won't have me killed any more than you ever would have, sister. And I could care less about having your throne."

The woman hissed. "You always were a lazy brat. Always doing no more than you had to for the family business. Still doing no more."

Count chuckled. "I'm the only family you've got, and the only one, you know, who won't slit your throat. So stop babbling to me about the usual gripes, and tell me what you want to do about this."

The large shadowed woman reclined on the couch, and she crossed her legs, her dark black slacks flowing over her legs softly. "This Blitz Team. How are they to be blamed for this embarrassment?"

Count reclined into his couch. "They defeated Vega in the Royal Cup Tournament, and have continually won the unsanctioned battles. They make our warriors look weak. The western underground is losing interest in betting on our battles." Count adjusted his shaded glasses. "If we don't win Zoid cores to sell, we have no prize money to offer our clients." Count leaned his head to the right. His voice sounded greasy. "It's bad for business."

The shadowed woman leaned forward, her face masked by the same type of glasses as her brother, Count. "Then eliminate them."

Count rested his hand on his knee. "Easier said then done, sister. They are very strong. A, surely, soon to be high ranking Class S Team."

The woman grunted. "Are you trying to tell me that they are invincible? That they are that powerful?"

Count gestured to the file folders sitting on the coffee table. "The Toros girl is a hothead like her grandfather. The little twit is starting to live the title he earned. Once she gets her spot shot skills up, she will be extremely difficult to combat against. The one called Brad Hunter is a loner from the Hinabi Village in Helic. Then there is the little weakling with the Raynos. He is the son of Oscar Hemeros, and is little more than a child. He's weak, and surely the weakest of the group, but the little snot is already starting to look like his father. And then there's Bit Cloud, the ultimate X pilot. You should know him quite well, dear sister. He's the son of San and Loria Cloud."

The old woman inhaled deeply. "I don't ever want to hear those names again." She grumbled. "So, he's the one that wasn't in the house when we sent the Bombvern. How did you learn of this, and why didn't you tell me before?"

Count pointed again at the file folders on the coffee table. "I only found out on my way here. I had some operatives doing research on him, and they only learned of this lately. Apparently, he and his parents had a falling out, and he set off with some wild dream of being a Zoid Pilot."

"Does he know?" The woman's breathed heavily.

"About the project?" Count paused, and glanced at the file folders on the coffee table. "I doubt it. As I understand it, he had a head for adventure instead of science. That's why he left the house."

The woman grumbled. She placed her right arm on the back of the couch, and appeared to ponder. Finally she leaned forward. "I'll call Guylos Underground."

Count lifted his eyebrows. "You're going to call in the favor?"

The woman jeered. "There never was a favor. It wasn't necessary for you to know, but they did the research on the core modifications." She smiled broadly to reveal the most brilliant white teeth. "Guylos has such a special talent with cores. I'll have them bring their Zoids."

"Well, it's of little difference to me if there was a favor, just so long as we achieve the objective." Count studied the folders. "The Blitz Team has caused me more than enough problems."

Count's sister took a long sip from her tea. "First, I want you to shake up the Blitz Team."

Count gasped. "Me?"

"Yes, you."

"Why me?"

"I don't want Guylos Underground to think we can't handle anything, you idiot. I'll arrange for Guylos to give us a field demonstration of their latest work."

Count gave a thin smile. "Clever, dear sister. I'm impressed."

The old woman leaned forward. "And we'll use that to finish the Blitz Team off. Permanently."

Count tilted his head in puzzlement, and raised his hands in question. "So, how do you propose that I shake them up?"


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6: Family And Finances

Kelly Tasker piloted her Lightning Saix thirty-one miles south from Capital City toward the center of Netter Forest. The meeting place, called out a couple of months ago in the agreement, had remained unchanged, and she had been here twice before, per the email instructions. She didn't want to come. She thought of how the last two trips here had gone from bad to worse, and Kelly wasn't even sure what she would call this trip.

For the third time today, she thought about packing up everything she, and her sister, Chris, owned and leaving Zenevas all together. _It's a big planet. There are plenty of places to disappear into. _And as she tried to convince herself that running was a good idea, she felt that same feeling in her stomach that told her it would never work. _They've got long arms. They'd have to in this kind of Biz. What am I going to do?_

The Lightning Saix Zoid moved effortlessly around the trees, and over the brush that narrowed the path too much. Kelly kept the Zoid's stride steady, less than a third of its top speed, and the Saix head barely moved with each stride. The lithe legs of the Saix absorbed nearly all of the recoil as it floated amongst the trees and grassed areas in the early afternoon sun.

The Saix trip computer's tone announced her arrival at the coordinates, and Kelly pulled out of her depressive daze. She throttled her Saix down to a jog for the last bit of the distance. When the trip computer bleeped, Kelly brought her Lighting Saix to a halt in a small clearing amongst a heavy tree line. She set the Saix leg locks, and lowered the head. The canopy opened, and Kelly climbed out of cockpit, and down onto the grass-covered clearing.

Across the clearing, a single Helcat Noir lingered in a crouched position. The pilot, dressed in a navy one-piece pilot suit, wore a helmet with a dark tinted shield that covered all of his face. He sat on the left front foot of the Helcat, and looked straight at Kelly as she walked away from her Saix.

Kelly sighed. _I don't know what I'm going to do._ She walked across the clearing toward the Helcat. The other pilot did the same. Kelly met the pilot halfway into the clearing, stopped, looked downward at the lengths of grass, and waited for the eminent.

The Helcat pilot stuck out his hand. "You have the payment?"

Kelly rolled her eyes, looked up, and glared at the reflection of herself in the Helcat Noir Pilot's tinted helmet face shield. "You know I don't have it." She clenched her hands into fists. "Those parts you sold me were supposed to make my team so fast that we'd win the Royal Cup on speed alone. Why should I pay you?"

The pilot tilted his head, and withdrew his hand. "You wanted the parts." The pilot raised his hand. "We never told you you'd win. We told you the parts would make your Saix Team faster than any other team. We didn't guarantee that the Blitz Team would squeeze more speed out of their Zoid." he stuck his hand out again. "Your payment is due."

Kelly scoffed. "You spout lies. You twist the truth. What do you want? Some kind of blackmail? Sex?" She glared at the pilot. "What?"

The Helcat Noir pilot rotated his hand, and pointed a finger at Kelly. "You will pay us. One way, or the other."

Kelly noticed the pilot's helmet appear to look over her shoulder. She raised her hand, and pointed her finger at his chest. "You touch my Saix, and you'll regret it."

The pilot laughed. "We could care less about your Saix. We want the Blitz Team's Shadow Fox. Your account is past due. Bring us their Zoid."

Kelly felt her jaw drop. "And why should I?"

The pilot straightened the leather of his navy jacket. "Because you'll regret it, if you don't."

"Go ahead. I'm ready. You wanna take me on?" Kelly raised a fist at the pilot. "Bring it on."

The pilot shook his head. "You're a strong woman, aren't you?"

Kelly spread her legs, and prepared to fight. "You wanna find out?"

The pilot laughed, his helmet oscillating with the event. "There are much more fun ways to hurt you, Kelly Tasker."

Kelly looked puzzled. Then the realization came to her mind. Her eyes widened in shock. "You leave her alone. You hear me?" She pointed her finger at the Helcat Noir pilot. "Don't you come near, Chris, or I'll . . . I'll..."

The pilot laughed, and folded his arms across his chest. "Bring us the Shadow Fox and your payment will be in full. Bring us nothing, and we'll visit your sister." The pilot started to turn. "You have twenty-four hours. Don't be late."

Kelly rolled her eyes as she closed them. "How am I supposed to do that?"

The pilot walked back to his Helcat Noir. He turned his head, and looked back over his shoulder. "That is your problem."

Kelly felt herself get tense. She wanted to scream. Her breath was erratic, and her mind raced. She remembered the day she made the deal with these parts dealers, the last two times she had been here, in Netter Forest, with no payment, and now she feared what they might do to her sister. _There's no way I could have the money to pay them per the agreement. They set me up._

She watched the pilot walk back to the Helcat Noir. The sight of him as he walked so calmly infuriated her. She thought about getting into her Saix, and taking him out, but she was warned the last time to not try anything desperate. She repeated their words I her mind. _Any attempts made on us will be answered in double._

Her eyes narrowed as she watched the canopy of the Helcat Noir Zoid open quietly. The Pilot climbed in, and the Zoid started to power up. The Helcat Noir came to a stand as the canopy closed. A vibrant hum wafted through the air, and the Zoid disappeared into its stealth mode. Kelly could hear the Zoid leave, but she had no idea which way southward it traveled.

She turned, and walked back to her Saix. _I'm in trouble._ Kelly stared at her Lightining Saix Zoid, and her vision became distorted. _What have I done?_ Her steps became heavy, and she leaned forward. Kelly looked down to let the drops fall from her eyes. _I don't know what I'm going to do. Why can't they mess with me, and not Chris?_ She stopped, and put her hand to her face. It only took a couple of sobs before she gave in, and fell to her knees. The convulsions varied with the intensity of her feelings, but Kelly Tasker was content with one thing.

There was no one in the Netter Forest that could hear her cry.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7: Dresses, Bets, and Promises

"You're wearing a dress." Bit blinked his eyes.

Chris Tasker tilted her head as she stepped out of the doorway into the hall. "Really?" She spun around slowly, and showed Bit the green dress.

Bit was surprised to see a former Class A opponent dressed like she had never piloted a Zoid in her life. He smiled. "I guess I've always seen you in your pilot suit. It's such a change."

Chris finished her spin, and clasped her hands behind her back. "Are you sure it's okay? I mean, the color - and I thought the hem was little too low." She pulled the short hem downward to allow it to reach the lower third of her thigh. She looked concerned as she glanced towards Bit. "Do I look silly?"

Bit's eyes widened. "No! You look so - so like a girl. I love green. It's my favorite color."

Chris cocked her head, and appeared unsure. "It is?"

"Yeah, Chris. You look amazing."

"Oh, good." Chris smiled. "Would you like to go now?"

"Sure. Do you need anything?"

"No." Chris pulled the thin strap of the small purse over her shoulder. "I've got my purse." She lifted the flap of the purse, slipped her hand into the accessory, and made a quick inventory. "I have my Zoid Keycard. I'm ready." Chris pulled her hand from the purse, and closed the door to the ZBC sponsored motel room. She walked to the right of Bit. The traveled down the Hall of the Short Stay Motel, out through the exit, and onto the sidewalk on the southwestern edge of Capital City.

Bit breathed in the outside air. "It's such a nice sunny day. I love summer."

Chris smiled. Her hair flowed smoothly with the summer breeze. "I know. Everything is warm and alive."

"Have you ever been to Summer Fest?"

"Yeah, a couple of times with Kelly."

Bit and Chris walked off the sidewalk, and started across the large expansive parking lot that Capital City had reserved for the Zoid Teams to park their equipment. Several kinds of Gustav units, Hover Cargos, and a couple of Whale Kings in the distance was mixed in with every Zoid under current manufacture. They were nearly to the other side of the large lot.

Bit stopped. "So what's Summer Fest like?" He had a curious look on his face.

Chris lifted her eyes. "Oh, it's a bunch of carnival stands selling food, and little amusement parks for kids. Then, there's a bunch of small game booths, and a nice midway with rides. It's pretty much your normal summer festival." She looked back at Bit.

"It sounds really fun." Bit put his hands on his hips. "It's open into the evening?"

Chris kicked the toe of her boot on the parking lot concrete surface. "The festival closes down at midnight. City regulations."

Bit faced Chris. He had a look in his eye. "It's two o'clock."

Chris returned the look. "Did you bring Liger?"

"Yep." Bit smiled, and pulled the Keycard from his back pocket.

Chris smiled at him, and stepped closer. "You know where Grahams Hill is?"

Bit hedged. "You wanna race? Liger's in Jager."

Chris pulled her keycard from her purse. "If you beat me there, you can kiss me."

Bit cocked his head. "And if I lose?"

Chris had a disappointed look on her face. "Then you can't."

Bit leaned closer, and looked right into Chris' eyes. "You're on. We'll start at the west end of the lot."

Chris lifted her Keycard between them, and waved it slowly back and forth. She batted her eyes. "Don't be late."

###

Leena heard the guest alarm sound. She walked through the main lower hall of the Hover Cargo, and shouted to the craft's main entrance comm system. "I'm coming." A quick jaunt through the hallway, and she arrived at the entrance door to the Hover Cargo. She turned the monitor on, and saw a petite blond girl with blue eyes, dressed in a simple off-white blouse, and brown casual shorts. Leena leaned toward the microphone built into the wall. "Hi. Can I help you?"

The blond girl smiled on the monitor, and tilted her head. "Hi. I'm Tiana. I'm here to meet Jamie. We're going to Summer Fest."

Leena was surprised. Jamie hadn't mentioned going to the Summer Festival. "Oh. Let me get the door for you." She pushed the button, and the entrance hatch retreated. Amidst the wind of motors, a series of steps extended downward, and created a pathway up to the Hover Cargo's deck floor from the ground.

Tiana rushed up the structure full of energy, and stopped just in front of Leena. "You're Leena Toros."

Leena blinked. "Yes. Yes I am." She quickly pulled herself together. "It's nice to meet you. Why don't we go to the main lounge." She motioned toward Tiana to follow as she hit the door close button on the wall just below the monitor. "Would you like a soda?"

Tiana followed behind Leena. "No, but thank you for offering."

The sound of the Hover Cargo's entrance door auto-close feature echoed in the background.

Leena was confused. "Jamie never mentioned going to the Festival." She glanced at Tiana. "You two are friends?"

Tiana smiled broadly. "I'm his girlfriend. He's such a wonderful guy, Leena. He's so gentle."

Leena eyes widened. She cocked her head. "Uh, yeah - well." Leena realized that she sounded odd, and pulled herself together. "Yeah, Jamie is rather reserved. I never really looked at it that way." She strained a smile. "I'll go get him for you, Tiana. Have a seat on the couch - sorry for the mess. We also use the couch, and table for our team meetings."

Tiana plopped down on the round-shaped couch that circled the round table. "That would be great. He promised to take me yesterday at the Soda Shop."

Leena lifted an eyebrow. "Really?" She couldn't recall Jamie saying anything about being out on a date. Was that note to her about him going with Bit a lie? "Yesterday, at the Soda Shop. Huh?"

Tiana's eyes sparkled. "I was so excited. We'll have such a good time." The little blond-haired girl crossed her legs, and rested her hands on her knees.

Leena managed a smile, and waved her hand as she entered the Corridor. "I'll send him right down. If you need anything, the call remote is on the table."

Leena felt her head spinning. _Jamie has a girlfriend? Jamie? Wow, she's a spitfire. She's so confident_. Leena got into the elevator and closed the doors. As always, she turned to look in the mirror on the wall. _What is it about her?_


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8: Hide, Seek, and Lounging

The doors to the Hover Cargo elevator opened on the team private rooms deck, and Leena stomped down the hall to Jamie's quarters. She pushed the call button to Jamie's room.

No one came to the door.

Leena huffed and beat on the door. "Jamie! Open this door, or I'm coming in. This is your last warning."

In her mind, Leena counted to three, and pushed the manual override on the lock pad. The door opened to an empty room. Leena stomped in. The bed was immaculately made, the shelves over the tidy desk, and terminal computer held Battle Strategy and Zoids Statistics Books. On the third shelf was a model of a Pteras with the CP-06 Bomber unit. Next to the Pteras was a model of a Raynos. On the wall was a picture of Jamie's mom and dad with him in the middle. Another photo on the wall showed the Blitz Team accepting the royal cup at the ZBC Courtyard. Leena turned, and her eyes locked onto the closet door. She marched over to the closet door, and yanked it open.

Jamie was squeezed between the clothes on the rack.

Leena grabbed his ear. "C'mon Jamie, you've got a date."

Amidst the shouts of pain, Jamie grabbed Leena's arm. "C'mon. Knock it off, Leena. I'm going to be sixteen next week. I'm not a kid anymore."

Leena stopped, turned, grabbed Jamie's shirt and yanked him up to her. "Exactly. Now quit your whining, and start acting like a man. Get downstairs, and take your girlfriend to the Festival. And don't come back here until you've taken her home at nine o'clock."

Jamie pleaded. "But Tiana moves too fast. I can't keep up with her."

"Jamie, you think too much. Get downstairs, and take your girlfriend out on a date." Leena raised her finger, and pointed it at Jamie's nose. "And If I hear you ran off, and left her without taking her home, you will be the sorriest Raynos Pilot in Capital City. Got that?"

Jamie raised the electronic funds card in his hand, and pleaded. "But I still have your father's funds card. He went off to the Zoids and Weapons Open House on the Northeast Side of Capital City. I had to take it, or he'd spend us all broke again."

"How'd you get it off of him?"

Jamie pushed the card closer to Leena. "I ordered one for me, and never activated it. I swapped it with his. He has a dud funds card."

"All the better." Leena pushed the card back at him. "Put the card in your pocket, get your girlfriend, and get out of here."

Jamie rolled his eyes. "Okay - okay. I'll go to the festival with Tiana. You do realize that's almost six hours I have to be alone with her."

"Then make sure she has a good time, or don't bother to come back here."Leena frowned. "Grow some Raynos thrusters, and act like a man."

Jamie headed toward the elevator. As the doors opened, he stepped in, and turned to face Leena.

Leena pointed her finger at Jamie. "Make sure she has a good time!"

"Alright! I will!" Jamie's face was a mix of fear, and frustration as the elevator doors closed in front of him.

###

Leon Toros sat at the bar in the Judges Chambers, a Zoid pilot clubhouse near the center of Capital City, and stared at the large monitor on the back wall. He sipped his drink, and eyed the Zoids Battle Strategy debate on Zi TV. He noticed someone sit down in the chair next to him.

Jack Cisco gave Leon a quick glance, and nod, before he ordered a beer.

The bartender dropped a bottle in front of Jack.

Leon continued to watch the TV. The show featured rerun highlights of battles during the recently finished Zoids Battle Season. The announcers debated the strategies of the teams, and why they failed to win, or actually won their matches.

Leon ignored a commercial break on the monitor. "Hey, Jack. How're you doing?"

Jack had a sip of his beer, and continued to look forward. "I'm doing fine, Leon. And yourself?"

"I'm enjoying a break. Just finished an exercise run on the agility course with Blade Liger."

"How'd you do?"

Leon had a sip of his drink. "I shaved two seconds off of the total time. It's not close enough to say I increased my time. But tomorrow, I'll run a scheduled trial."

Jack huffed. "The first two laps of a trial aren't so bad. It's that third lap that gets you."

"I suppose if it wasn't tough, you couldn't measure a pilot's abilities. How about you?"

"I left the Lightning Team. Kelly opted not to renew our contract. That's fair."

Leon shook his head. "That's the problem with business. It's always fair. Do you own a Zoid?"

"I've been in the market for one."Jack studied his beer. "I've been looking at a Shield Liger Mark Two, but I don't think Ligers are my bag."

Leon nodded his head. "They can be pretty demanding. Let alone finicky. Bit seems to have found a way to always keep one motivated. Are you thinking about a bird?"

Cisco chuckled. "I'm pretty grounded. There are a lot of Zoids out there to choose from. This time, I think I'll look things over pretty carefully."

"Well, if you get one, feel free to give me a shout. Naomi, and I, are looking for a third. We think it would really round out the team."

Jack nodded. "That's quite an offer. I won't take it lightly."

Leon looked at Jack out of the corner of his eye. "I didn't say we would make it easy for you."

Jack and Leon shared a laugh, before a high-pitched tone played for a moment throughout the Judges Chambers bar. The large monitor on the wall behind the bar flashed a blue screen before flashing to a black text window. Leon already knew what it meant as a crowd of people came up behind him to watch the event.

Leon glanced at Jack. "It's only been a month, and someone's already applied for a ZBC exhibition match."

Jack nodded as the crowd surrounded them. "Some pilots just can't get out of their Zoids for very long."

Leon turned his attention back to the monitor. "I wonder who they are?"


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9: Ready ... Fight!

Capital City's Zoid Battle Control was active, and processed the battle call. In the main control room of the ZBC Command Building, a staff of seven female control operators dressed in blue, and gold trimmed, ZBC uniforms performed the standard routine for a Zoids Battle Request. Two rows of three stations formed an arc on a thirty degree inclined floor. The dim room lighting allowed information on the gray colored monitor stations and overhead monitor array to be bright and clear. On the wall in front of the stations just below the monitor array, a large map of Zenevas readily showed the location of the battle call and the satellites processing the request.

At the top of the incline, a single command chair with arm-mounted controls was the seat for Zoid Battle Commission Capital City Battle Control Commander Jasmine Ardent. Her braided sandy brown hair was per regulation, draped over her right shoulder, and ended just below her bust. Her brown eyes emulated experience, and were framed within the large lenses of regulation gold rimmed glasses. Her legs were crossed, and Jasmine's right hand rested on the hem of her uniform's skirt. Her fingers massaged her right knee, where her hand rested. Her crossed legs were fixed at an angle that allowed Jasmine to effortlessly rotate her heavy command chair in spite of the smooth sole of her regulation pumps. She oscillated the chair slightly from side to side.

The young woman in the first row, right station, scanned her station monitor. The ponytail of her black hair waved from the vigor of her screen check. "Affirmative Commander, two judge capsules have been launched from ZBC Satellite three-five-delta and ZBC Satellite four-one-two-bravo."

"Thank you, Tiffany." Jasmine studied the map on the control room wall. "Melanie, capsule status on Zi low altitude monitor?"

A young woman in the left station of the first row scanned her monitor screen. Her blond hair, in a military shoulder-length cut, draped over her cheeks with her downward gaze. "Commander, Judge Capsules are at seventy-five thousand feet, on course, and accelerating. Touchdowns in one minute."

"Thank you, Melanie. Denise, capsule status?"

A young woman with red hair in the front row, center station, typed information onto her station computer screen. A response appeared in the monitor application window. "Commander, Battle data has been uploaded to both Judge Capsules. Checksums have been confirmed. Capsule Androids are both active."

"Thank you, Denise. Jennifer, public broadcast status?"

The second row seated three young women with varying shades of brown hair and they typed feverishly at their stations. The right seat girl called out done, only a second before the girl on the left. The girl in the center spoke. "Commander, monitor activation has been confirmed. The public annunciation call has been successfully transmitted. Capital City is on standby for broadcast."

Jasmine smiled. "Confirmed, ladies, thank you." She pressed a button on her right armrest, which connected her to the Capital City public broadcast audio system. "This is Capital City Zoid Battle Control Commander Ardent. We are go for Zoid Exhibition Battle zero-one-dash-zero-zero-one. Stand by for capsule broadcast." Releasing the call button, Commander Ardent looked interested. "It's been a while since we've had a good old fashion Turf Burn."

Jennifer looked over her shoulder toward Command Ardent. Her face emulated curiosity. "Turf Burn, Commander?"

Jasmine smiled, and switched her legs, the wisp of her nylons detailed the event. "A good old-fashioned race, Jennifer." Jasmine adjusted her glasses. "This one's gonna be good."

Melanie studied her screen. "Commander, Capsule Deceleration Burns are complete. Touchdowns in twenty seconds."

###

Off the southwestern edge of the Main Zoid Team Parking Facility, a Lightning Saix with a High Maneuverability Backpack and a White Liger in a Jager High Speed Changeable Armor System stood three hundred feet into the grass plain. Both Zoids were looking upward giving their pilots the view of two objects with streaming smoke trails that followed as they headed for the ground. The first object was only a mile in front of them, the second one was westward and a long distance off toward a large hill that rose upward along horizon. Camera pods levitated every few hundred feet. The closest camera pod lowered itself to the right of the Zoids.

Bit cloud sat in his cockpit, and talked to an old friend. "All right Liger, this time it's all about speed. You ready to show off what you and I have been working on?"

The white Liger Zero Zoid raised its head upward, and roared at the sky.

In the Liger Zero cockpit, Bit received a communication request. The small monitor displayed two lines of text.

ZBC#5D12C-B22

Chris Tasker

Bit hit the acknowledge button, and a video application opened on his right panel that showed another Zoid Cockpit where Chris Tasker sat in the pilot seat in a green dress.

Chris looked confident, and competitive on Bit's cockpit monitor. "I might as well warn you. I've prepped Saix for the race. She's in a good mood today." Chris raised her hand on Bit's display, her finger floated around the right side of her lips. "You're going to have to work for it if you want to win these." She gave Bit a devilish grin.

Bit winked at the comm link, his excitement split between the battle and prize. "I'll be waiting for them at the finish line."

An explosive sound broke through the air outside, and Bit, and the image of Chris on Bit's cockpit monitor, looked forward at their cockpit forward screens. Another video link opened in the lower right hand corner of Liger Zero's forward display. It was a direct link from one of the pod cameras, and showed a white judge capsule rising out of the ground. Half of the judge capsule shell raised as it pivoted on hinges mounted at the top, and revealed a stem mounted ZBC Judge Android.

The warning alarms sounded, and the Judge Android became animated. "Warning! A mile wide path from West Capital City outskirts to the Base of Grahams Hill has been designated a Zoid Battlefield. Area Scanned. Battlefield Setup. Zoid Pilot Bit Cloud versus Zoid Pilot Chris Tasker in exhibition match. Battle mode zero-zero-zero-eight. Point-to-point race."

The judge raised his arms outward in front of him, the standard protocol before calling the start of the Zoid match. With his mechanical hands raised, the android spoke "Ready." The Judge Android paused, then crossed his hands briskly. "Fight!" The capsule gong sounded the start of the match.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10: Speed, Mischief, And Ice Cream Cones

The whine of turbine thrusters spinning up, combined with the ground shaking force of a Liger Zero in a High Speed Jager Armor, and a Lightning Saix with a High Maneuverability Backpack, made for the start of a ZBC zero-zero-zero-eight, point-to-point race. The Zoids leaped forward, and onto the newly defined battlefield. Massive chunks of dirt flew from the claws as front legs pulled, and rear legs pushed at the ground.

The ZBC camera pods zipped into motion, and captured the action as Zoids accelerated with the ferocity of competition. The hum of leg servos filled the air as each Zoid threw dirt and rock from their claws on the sparsely grassed area west of Capital City.

Five hard strides into the race, the roar from ignited thrusters glowed on the back of each Zoid before the after-burners fired and sent several tons of Zoid metal forward even faster as they accelerated violently across the competition ground.

Neck and neck, the high speed strides of the Liger and Saix were evenly matched as the mecha raced across the battlefield towards the finish line twenty-miles out at the base of Grahams Hill. The camera pods danced along the ground and tried to keep up, while new camera pods joined the race as the Zoids' claws tore at the terra, and headed swiftly down field.

###

In an old abandoned airfield fifty-miles to the North of Capital City, a meeting took place in a broken down large building marked with a rusted, and worn sign that read "Hangar 5."

"You have your orders?" Count stared at the three men dressed in black soldier uniforms.

"Yes, sir." The tallest man in the center stepped forward. "Are you sure, you want us to strike in the early evening? We've always performed the missions after dark."

Count clasped his hands behind his back. "Your Zoids have been fitted with the modified Helcat cloaking system."

The soldier squinted his eyes. "I know, sir. But it's incompatible with our Zoid systems. What if it fails?"

Count turned his side to the soldier. "It's of little matter if it does. Make your move on Capital City, and the target. Re-cloak with the modified Helcat system, and then land at our facility in Namer Hills."

The man to the right of the tall soldier looked confused. "Out of curiosity, sir, why are we not coming back here?"

Count turned away from the men. "We're restructuring for the current situation."

The man to the right of the lead soldier stepped forward. "You mean we're really ready to move forward?"

Count pulled his cloak over his shoulders. He rubbed his leather gloved hands together. "Not yet. But soon enough, we will make our move, and the whole world will know who really funds the Backdraft Group."

The lead soldier thrust his hand in the air. "For the glory that was once ours, and ours alone."

Count frowned. "As long as we control everything, then everything will be in control. You have your orders. Carry them out."

"Yes, sir!"

In the shadows behind the three soldiers, the lines of three avian Zoids could barely be discerned.

###

Jamie sat on the park bench in the middle of the Summer Festival Grounds. He held two ice cream cones in his hands, while Tiana visited the lavatory. Families attending the Capital City Summer Festival passed in front of him, and the kids pointed at his ice cream cones more often than not, and then a family ruckus started. Jamie sighed. "I should charge the ice cream stands an hourly rate for this." He looked down at his comp board where it rested in his lap, but two hands full of ice cream cones meant he couldn't access any Zoid data to work on his strategies.

Tiana plopped down on the bench next to him. She smiled broadly. "See? I told you it would only take me a minute."

Jamie rolled his eyes. It felt like he'd been sitting here for an hour. His comp board sounded a tone, and the screen illuminated with a text message. He read the screen.

Incoming video conference call from: Mom and Dad.

Tiana picked up Jamie's comp board out of his lap. "Oh look. Your mom and dad are calling." She put her arm around Jamie, and held the board out in front of them, so the device's built-in camera would capture them.

Jamie stuttered, hands effectively cuffed with ice cream cones. "No! Wait!"

Tiana pushed the acknowledge button with her thumb, and the text screen was replaced by a video conference application that showed Jamie's parents as they sat in their living room. "Hi! I'm Tiana. I'm Jamie's girlfriend. It's very nice to meet you."

Jamie felt his face turn hot. "Uh. Hi mom. Hi dad." He could see the astonished look on his parents faces.

Jamie's wide-eyed mother spoke on the comp board screen. "Jamie, you did not tell us that you have a girlfriend." Jamie's mother straightened her hair. "It's very nice to meet you, Tiana. I'm Jamie's mother, Valerie, and this is Jamie's father, Oscar."

Jamie's father waived on the comp board screen. "Nice to meet you, Tiana. I hope we didn't interrupt anything?"

Tiana shook her head, and became serious. "Oh, no sir, Mister Hemeros. Jamie, and I, always make time for family. We're here at the Capital City Summer Festival. He brought me out here for a date. He's such a wonderful young man, Mrs. Hemeros."

Jamie's mother blinked on the comp board, and then rested her hands in her lap. "Well, thank you, Tiana. Oscar, and I, have done our best to raise him well." She crossed her legs, and smoothed her skirt. "Tell us about you?"

Tiana crossed her legs, and adjusted the comp board in front of her and Jamie. "I grew up in Capital City, and two years ago, my parents relocated to Guylos for their consulting work. I stayed behind to finish school, and live with my Uncle Niller, who runs a Zoid Salvage operation. So, when I'm not doing schoolwork, I've been helping Uncle Niller expand his business efforts. I recently joined Capital City's Entrepreneurs Consortium, and am currently growing Uncle Niller's business. We've grown twelve percent in the last two years, thanks to my marketing strategies. As I'm sure you and Mr. Hemeros can appreciate, Zoids are very serious business in Zenevas."

Jamie watched helplessly as his parent's facial expressions became astonished then serious.

His mother spoke on the comp board. "Jamie, I'm impressed with your ability to find such an interesting young woman like Tiana."

Jamie's father, Oscar, just sat on the couch with his mouth slightly open on the comp board application window.

Jamie tried to think of something, anything, to cut the conversation short, but with two ice cream cones in his hands, Tiana's arm around him, and stuck with a video conference call with his parents, he was ultimately trapped. "Uh. Yeah. Well, we kinda just started dating."

Jamie's father leaned forward on the comp board screen. "Jamie, it would seem that your mother, and I, have got some things to talk about. Why don't you give us a call another time. And by all means, make sure that Tiana knows the hospitality of a Hemeros."

Jamie desperately wanted to sink outside of life. "Yes, dad."

Jamie's father turned his eyes toward Tiana through the video conference application window on Jamie's comp board and grinned. "Tiana, it has been a sincere pleasure to meet you. We hope to hear more from you in the future."

"Thank you, Mr. Hemeros. I am very honored to have finally met you, and Mrs. Hemeros, as well." Tiana leaned closer to the comp board. "Please, have a great day."

The video conference terminated.

Jamie felt something on his hand. "Tiana! The ice cream is melting."

Tiana giggled, and leaned forward.

Jamie squinted his eyes as people passed by, and gave weird looks as his girlfriend licked the melted ice cream from the back side of his hand. "Just . . . take . . . the freaking ice cream cone!"


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11: Race, Romance, and Robbery

At the two-thirds field-marker on the designated ZBC battlefield, a white Liger Zero in a Jager CAS and a Lightning Saix with HM Backpack left smoke trails behind them as they rocketed across the surface of the barren countryside and headed for Grahams Hill. The massive Zoids leaped over boulders and uneven surfaces, stretched their legs with every stride, and their pilots looked for every opportunity to gain ground over each other.

Chris Tasker manned the controls of her Lightning Saix, and strained against the g-force of her Zoid's violent velocity. The image of Bit Cloud in Liger Zero's cockpit displayed on her left interior canopy monitor. "Not bad, Bit. But it's a long way to the finish line, and my Saix has just a little less weight to deal with on the battlefield than your big fat Liger." She grinned as her cockpit shook with the Saix's high speed strides.

Bit responded on Chris' monitor, his eyes locked straight in front of him. "Yeah, but Liger's got the muscle where it counts. At the finish line. I hope your ready for a big long kiss, cause I'm gonna take my time."

Chris manned her controls. _I need just a little more speed_. She eyed the thruster output. She'd already disabled the safety limiters, and the status monitor showed the thruster output at one-hundred and fifteen percent. She scanned the stride monitor which reported that her Saix had an efficiency status of one-hundred five percent. Chris scanned the airflow disturbance monitor. There was nothing she could find on the displays to tweak. Everything was maxed out. "Come on, Saix. We can do it."

Chris couldn't help but wonder about giving in on the race. She had come really like Bit after the competition season was over. And with the season over, Kelly wasn't hounding her day, and night, about the team competition factor. Now that Bit was in Class S, there wasn't anything wrong with dating him. Kelly admitted that fact to her, but Chris was disappointed that her sister still seemed uneasy about the whole affair.

Still, Chris kept her own life thoughts to herself. Family was important, but she realized that she still had her own life to lead. And no matter how much her work involved Kelly during the Zoids competitions, Chris wanted to find her own life on her own terms. And right now, Bit seemed like good terms.

A monitor on Chris' right panel came online. It displayed a side view of the Zoid. There was a pulsing glow around the armor portions of the schematic drawing. Chris wrinkled her brow. Jack Sisco had told her that these unusual events can occur while piloting a Zoid, and that an astute pilot would interpret an event as communication from a Zoid. He explained to her that the best pilots know how to listen to their Zoids, and work better together as a team.

Chris studied the screen. _What could it mean_? As she glanced back at the forward long-range monitor, Chris could see the base of Grahams Hill come into view. Her short range radar showed her right next to Liger Zero. Each Zoid's nose was dancing across a makeshift line that essentially meant that the race could be decided by a hair longer reach in the stride, or a shift in the ground. Chris needed more clearance to have a decisive victory. But then she realized that Bit couldn't kiss her if he lost. _Decisions. Decisions. What's a girl to do_?

Chris studied the controls. She couldn't get anymore speed. There was none to be had, and she tried to be mindful of her situation as a pilot in the race. If there was an interference on the course, her settings on the Saix's performance would mean she would easily lose control of the Zoid. She thought through all of the variables again, and again. She eyed the radar again showing the oscillating positions of her Saix and Bit's Liger Zero. She wanted to win, and she started to think of the basics of the tactics involved in the race.

Chris mumbled. "Work is equal for force times distance."

"What's that?" The comm link with Bit was still active.

"Oh nothing. Just figuring out how to beat you to the finish line." Chris reminded herself to think quietly. _Thrust versus drag_.

Bit laughed. "Liger and I always muscle it through to the end."

"The race isn't over yet." Chris found herself torn slightly. _I wanna win, but losing isn't so bad, either. But if I don't really work for it, then I can't live with myself. I have to try to win. I don't want to be a game player_. The monitor that displayed the glowing armor bleeped again at Chris. Grahams Hill was coming up fast on her cockpit forward display. She thought again. _Lift versus weight, thrust versus drag_. Chris' eyes went wide. And she looked again to the screen that her Saix had brought active in the cockpit. "That's what you mean, Saix?"

Bit's voice came over the Saix's comm system. "What's that?"

Chris smiled as she went to work on the command systems. "The finish line. It's almost over." Quickly she opened the maintenance program. She couldn't make the Saix go faster as it was, but she could make the Zoid gain more ground with the strides. And all she needed to do was change the mathematical-based physics that acted on her Saix. Chris activated the maintenance program. She entered the codes, and the screen responded.

Warning! Releases Activated!

###

Zoids Battle Control bustled with work as a matrix of multiple monitors displayed different aspects of the exhibition match from the ZBC pod cameras. Capital City Battle Control Commander Jasmine Ardent watched the action intently as her team of young women ran the monitors, processed the video for public broadcast, and cheered on the Zoids. Ardent smiled. She allowed her underlings a little fun on the job.

Ardent scanned the row of upper monitors that showed the Liger Zero piloted by Bit Cloud, and the Lightning Saix piloted by Chris Tasker at near neck and neck as they rapidly approached the finish line. "So, Jennifer?"

Jennifer turned around quickly from her monitor. "Yes ma'am?"

"What do you think of a Turf Burn?"

Jennifer spun her head back around to her screen. "It's awesome, Commander."

Melanie jumped up out of her chair, and pointed at monitor 6A. "Oh-wow! Look!"

Jasmine's eyes snapped to the monitor 6A, and her jaw dropped slightly. On the screen was the pod camera from the finish line, and she could see smoke flailing from the Lightning Saix body, and limbs. Suddenly, Chris Tasker's Lightning Saix armor jettisoned off the Zoid, and Jasmine was surprised to see such a maneuver. "Well, I'll be. Get Chris Tasker away from her big sister, and look what surprises she has up her sleeve."

"The Lightning Saix is pulling ahead of the Liger Zero!" Monica balled her fists, and thrust them into the air. "Go, Chris!"

Jasmine watched adamantly on monitor 6A as the Lightning Saix armor fell away, and Chris Tasker's Zoid steadily nudged ahead of Liger Zero just as they reached the finish line.

The girls in her control room cheered.

The Judge Capsule sounded the end of match horn on monitor 4C. "Over. The battle is now over. And the winner is . . . Zoid Pilot Chris Tasker in her Lightning Saix."

Jasmine tugged at her braided hair, and mumbled well below the ambient room noise. "Well, well, well." She remembered her days of piloting a Zoid on the Battlefield. "I'm sure the Judges Chambers has more than one jaw hitting the floor, right now." Jasmine oscillated her chair from side to side with her pumps. "And _who_ is going to pick up all of that Lightning Saix Armor?"


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12: Win, Lose, and Drawings

Bit climbed out of the cockpit of Liger Zero at the Base of Grahams Hill. Next to Liger was Chris Tasker's Lightning Saix, sans armor. Bit scratched his head as Chris ran up to him, and wrapped her arms around him.

"I won! I can't believe it! I won!" Chris jumped back, and thrust her arms in the air. "Yeah!"

"I have to admit, that was a neat trick." Bit chuckled, and shook his head.

"Wow, it was like my Saix was trying to talk to me." Chris regained her composure. "At the end there, I felt like I could almost understand what she was saying to me during the race."

"Really?" Bit's eyes widened. "I talk to Liger all the time." Bit looked over his shoulder at the head of his Zoid. "Ain't that right, partner?"

Liger Zero was silent.

Bit turned back to Chris, and rubbed the back of his head. "Well, when we win, that is."

Liger grumbled.

Bit turned back around to Liger. "She didn't mean it. It was just part of the competition."

Chris looked confused. "What's wrong?" She stepped up next to Bit.

"I guess my partner, here, is kinda miffed." Bit scratched the back of his head. "He didn't like it when you called him a big fat Liger."

"Really?" Chris looked at the Liger Zero, and then turned to Bit. "You can understand what Liger is saying?"

"Yeah. I always have understood him."

"I see."Chris looked up at Liger Zero. "I'm going to have to get better."

A ZBC Camera pod slowly hovered in front of Bit, and Chris. The floating ball-shaped pod raised one of its panels to reveal a small monitor, and Capital City Battle Commander Jasmine Ardent appeared on the screen.

Ardent's voice rang out through a speaker in the camera pod. "Congratulations, Chris Tasker. You, and Bit, put on a fine exhibition match. Miss Tasker, I'm sending a couple of Command Wolves fitted with lifting cranes, and a few Gustavs to help you gather your armor, and reinstall it on your Zoid. Normally, there's a fee for this service, but the ZBC has opted to waive it this one time, since this was an exhibition match with no prize money, or points. And quite honestly, it was a rather spectacular show. Capital City's citizens are quite pumped up from the broadcast, and it appears that our local businesses are seeing an increase of customers due to the excitement from the match. We appreciate your putting on a great exhibition show."

Chris smiled. "Thank you very much, Commander. I really appreciate your assistance with my Zoid."

Ardent nodded. "We'll be keeping and eye on you in Class A, next season, Miss Tasker. We look forward to seeing your talent develop."

The camera pod monitor went blank, and the panel closed before the ball-shaped device sped off back toward Capital City.

The thunder of ignited thrusters tore through the air, and Bit, and Chris, watched the Judge Capsules rise into the air en-route to the ZBC Satellites in orbit over Zenevas.

"So." Bit looked at Chris. "What do we do until the Zoids get here with your armor?"

Chris smiled devilishly. "I want my victory kiss."

Bit wrinkled his brow. "Victory kiss? But I lost the match?"

"If you win, you get to kiss me." Chris tilted her head, and wrapped her arms around Bit's neck. "If I win, I get to kiss you." She leaned closer to Bit.

###

Kelly Tasker zipped up the charcoal gray coveralls that she wore. She straightened the dark mechanic's cap on her head, pulled the sunglasses from her coverall front pockets, and slid them on over her eyes.

She glanced at the dresser top. A picture rested on the top of the furniture piece that showed Kelly and Chris when they were twelve years old. Behind them was her late mother, and father, and behind her parents in the photo were two Gustavs fitted with long-range shipping trailers. Kelly's heart sank.

It had been three years now since her parents died, and left Kelly to take care of Chris, and try to run the family shipping business. A business that was all but dead, thanks to competition from shady delivery outfits that were rumored to be funded by the Backdraft.

Kelly picked up the photo. "I'm sorry, mom … dad. I did the best I could. But I won't let anything happen to Chris. I'll ruin my life to protect hers, if I have to." Kelly placed the photo back on the dresser. She turned, picked her comp board up off of the bed, and activated the device. She studied the engineering drawings of a typical Hover Cargo Unit that she had managed to dig up on a maintenance website on Zenevas public Internet. She zoomed the schematic in the application window on her comp board to check the location one more time.

She twisted her lips, memorized the location, and tucked the comp board into a large pocket on the side of her coverall's leg.

Kelly made a final check of her outfit and walked briskly out of the apartment, out of the ZBC sponsored motel, and quickly through the parking lot where the Zoids teams parked their equipment. Evening had set in, and the sun's angle in the sky had made for strong shadows, especially for equipment like Hover Cargo's. The massive, snail-shaped transport Zoids were among the tallest of ground-based Zoid transports.

Kelly located the Blitz Team Hover Cargo at the far end of the lot. Someone had moved it just recently, and it was now reversed in the parking lot. Kelly smiled. It was perfectly located for stealing the Shadow Fox. Someone had saved her a lot of trouble with getting the Zoid out of the transport. "Maybe my luck is finally changing."

Kelly worked her way through the lot of parked Zoid Transports. She recognized two ZBC security guards at the far end of the lot as she tucked behind a Gustav. They hadn't seen her. Kelly opted to move more stealthily, and kept an eye on the security guards. She weaved her way through the rest of the Zoid transports in the parking lot to the shadowed side of the Blitz Team's Hover Cargo.

Getting on all fours, she scurried underneath the Zoid. She scanned the underside of the area she crouched under. In the dim light, her eyes locked onto a two-foot square outline. Kelly smiled. "There it is."


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13: Hacked Silicon, Dining Dilemmas, And Hot Foxes

Kelly Tasker opened the small maintenance hatch, and crawled onto the main deck of the Hover Cargo's maintenance bay. She closed the hatch, pulled an LED flashlight from the breast pocket of her coveralls, and turned turned the device on.

A quick circle of the flashlight beam around the interior of the Hover Cargo revealed massive golden-colored metal claws against the transport's floor. As Kelly raised the flashlight, the claw transitioned into a leg with a dark, near-black painted finish, then a shoulder, then a neck, and then an open cockpit of what was unmistakably the Shadow Fox Zoid. On the far side of the Zoid's head, the flashlight beam revealed a platform, and as Kelly Tasker brought the flashlight beam slowly downward, the platform gave way to a ladder that followed the platform's tubular supports all the way back down to the floor of the Blitz Team Hover Cargo.

Kelly scanned the floor in front of her with the flashlight beam to make sure it was clear, and crept quickly toward the Zoid. There was no time to waste. She reached the base of the platform's ladder, put the LED flashlight in her mouth and began to quickly climb up the ladder. She reached the platform, crossed it, and pulled her Zoid Keycard from the back hip pocket of her coveralls. She slipped into the Shadow Fox cockpit and dropped the Keycard into the Zoid's docking port.

She turned on the Keycard, which prompted a screen. She selected a program called "Uni-Key" and watched the readout on the screen.

"Executing Script . . ."

"Processing Keys . . ."

"Key Found!"

"Executing Key-mask Program . . ."

"Key Loaded!"

"Now Booting Zoid!"

The cockpit of the Shadow Fox illuminated and the Zoid systems started to power up. Kelly turned off the flashlight and shoved it into the breast pocket of her coveralls. She threw the hatch release arm on the left side of her cockpit chair from "OPEN" to "CLOSE" and the Shadow Fox canopy lowered. She heard the start-up of the Zoid's Body Motors and actuators as the canopy sealed. Kelly strapped herself into the seat, and piloted the Zoid around the ladder and onto the Hover Cargo's Launch Platform. She searched the monitors in the Shadow Fox cockpit. On the lower right touchscreen she found the program for the Hover Cargo's Launch Platform.

She touched the screen over the menu item. And the monitor responded.

"Activating Launch Rail!"

Kelly felt the Shadow Fox rising. On her forward monitor, she watched as the wall of the Hover Cargo's inner bay moved vertically downward on the screen as the Zoid rose to the upper launch deck. She sighed. "Almost out of here. I swear, I'll never do this again."

She felt the Zoid bounce as the launch rail stopped its rise. She waited. Nothing happened. She checked the touchscreen monitor. The display had changed. She pressed the area of the screen over the "Launch!" button. A new window appeared and flashed a warning on the screen.

"Launch Door Locked!"

Kelly pursed her lips. She turned on the Shadow Fox forward Lamps which brightened her view of the upper interior of the Launch Rail. She guided the Shadow Fox's exterior forward camera along the launch door to the lower left hand corner. She zoomed the camera in and found what she hoped was there. On a simple catwalk was a door-operator manual override station. She placed the Fox in a crouched position. "Looks like I'll have to open it the old-fashioned way."

###

Leena Toros carried her shopping bag. She stepped off of the sidewalk and headed onto the ZBC Zoid Teams Parking Lot. Her eyes scanned the bag hanging at her right, which held a bright purple dress that she had just picked up from the alteration department of the shopping center. In her left hand was her comp board.

"I wonder if anyone is back in the Hover Cargo" I'd love to go out and get something to eat tonight." She remembered that Jamie was at the Festival with Tiana, and that Bit just got his thrusters burned by Chris Tasker at the base of Grahams Hill. Leena chuckled evilly. "Serves him right." She dialed her father.

The comp board displayed a message.

"No Answer!"

Leena pressed her lips together. "That's odd." She huffed. "Maybe Brad's not doing anything." She punched his link on the comp board as she strode along the side of a bright orange Whale King.

The comp board processed the call, and video link appeared showing Brad sitting in what looked like a dark booth.

Brad looked calm as he spoke on Leena's comp board monitor. "What's up, Leena?"

Leena put on her cheerful face. "Hi Brad. I'm heading back to the Hover Cargo, and was thinking about going out for a bite to eat. Care to join me?"

The video of Brad on Leena's Comp Board showed him looking off screen. Leena saw Naomi Fluegel slide into the booth next to Brad.

Brad gestured with his hand. "Sorry, Leena, I'm having some drinks with Naomi."

Leena sighed. Everyone was out gallivanting around with the opposite sex, except for her. "You haven't heard anything from Dad, have you?"

The video on Leena's comp board showed Brad, and Naomi, as they looked at each other with confused looks. Brad looked back toward the Leena. "No, why do you ask?"

Leena rolled her eyes. "I've been trying to reach him all afternoon, but his comp board is offline."

The video of Brad frowned. "That's odd."

Leena shook her head. "I know. I mean, I know he's probably tromping and slobbering all over place at the Zoids Weapons show."

Naomi tried to intervene. "How about if Brad and I offer to swing by the show on the way back to the Hover Cargo?"

Leena smiled. "That'd be great! Then I can wring his neck when he gets back to the Hover Cargo for turning off his comp board."

The video of Naomi nodded. "Let us know if you do hear from him. Okay?"

Brad cut in on the video. "He's probably just drooling over crazy weapons … again."

Leena cocked her head, and raised her comp board up level with her face. "Oh believe me, I'm sure he's slobbering over at least a dozen outrageously overpriced combat tools." Leena rolled here eyes. "Sometimes, I wish dad was a little more connected to reality."

Brad and Naomi started discussing something on the Leena's comp board video screen.

A familiar sound from the parking lot caught Leena's attention. "Huh?" She jogged past the Whale King, so that the Blitz Team Hover Cargo was back in her view. She could see the upper deck launch rail extend from Transport Zoid. "Is that Jamie?" She heard the rail-gun launch system charge and then she saw the Shadow Fox shoot out through the air, land on the ground, and break into the hills to the south. She could still here Brad's voice growling on her comp board. Leena, confused, finally realized what happened. She brought the comp board to her face. "Brad?"

Brad and Naomi continued to talk on the comp board screen.

Leena raised her voice. "Brad, somebody just stole the Shadow Fox."

The faces of Brad and Naomi on Leena's comp board changed from looks of somber to shock. "What?"

Leena started to walk briskly towards the Hover Cargo. She looked directly into her comp board. "Listen, I'm being serious! Someone has just stolen the Shadow Fox!"


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14: Plight, Flight, And Two Big Smoking Guns

Kelly Tasker piloted the Shadow Fox at full speed as she headed southward through Netter Forest. She typed an email message via her comp board to the address given to her by her parts suppliers, "I have the payment. En-route to rendezvous point."

She sent the message, and tried to convince her nervous mind otherwise. "They'll be there. They always are." Kelly had been down this route so many times before that she could pilot it with her eyes closed. As she maneuvered the Shadow Fox around trees and across clearings, Kelly wished that she could just go back to running her parents' business. But it was all but completely bankrupt now. The competition from the competing companies rumored to be funded by the Backdraft Group was relentless in pursuing contracts, and Kelly had hoped that she and Chris had made more money than they had during the Zoid Class A competitions. "We're going to lose everything." Kelly clenched the controls of the Shadow Fox. "If Zoids are anything on Zi, they're risky business." That Kelly Tasker was sure of.

###

At an altitude of ten thousand feet, three cloaked avian Zoids fitted with incompatible Helcat cloaking systems cruised across the Zenevas airspace. Commander Klaus Bergen led the ensemble, but the ride through the air was anything but pleasant. His Zoid shook violently, and he could only imagine what his two wingmen were going through in their cloaked Zoids.

Bergen's cockpit com link had audio only, as most of the Zoid's systems were either offline, or showed erroneous data. He held on to the joystick firmly against the constant vibration.

A voice crackled through Bergen's com link speaker. "Commander, I think my Zoid is about to shake apart."

Bergen spoke slowly, in case the message was garbled by the hacked Zoid technology. "Hold steady, we're about five minutes to target."

Bergen's audio comm crackled again from the second pilot. "My command systems are showing massive errors."

Bergen eyed the Zenevas landscape. "It's a false error. The incompatible cloaking system will cause that. The two of you just hold steady, got that?"

"Yes sir."

Bergen continued to scan the ground through the cockpit window. He had to. All of his Zoid's radar systems were inoperable, another side-effect of the cloaking technology. This mission was important. He had no idea why, but if the Backdraft front group was willing to send him out in _this_ Zoid in broad daylight, it must be critical. _Why now, and why this target?_ Bergen kept calm. No matter what, he couldn't fail. He was going to destroy that target in one shot, and he piloted the only Avian Zoid in all of Zenevas that had the firepower to do that. He scanned the ground out his left cockpit canopy as Capital City slowly approached his Zoid's nearly invisible left wing tip.

Satisfied with the view, he called out to his squadron via the audio com link. "Capital City is in range. Drop to five hundred feet and prepare to make your run. I'll be right behind you, and head straight for the target."

Bergen's audio com link crackled as the voice responded. "Roger, commander. We're beginning our run on the ZBC Airfield."

Commander Bergen slowly banked his avian Zoid as it buffeted through the air with the incompatible Helcat cloaking system. He could just make out the lines of his target on the ground. He spoke to his Zoid. "Just a few more miles, old friend, and we can start the turn for our strafing run."

The Avian Zoid grumbled.

###

Leena Toros was almost to the Hover Cargo when she heard the whine of turbines. She looked up to see two dark-painted avian Zoids just appear out of nowhere in the sky. "What the?" She strained here eyes in disbelief. "Cloaked Storm Sworders?" The Zoids rocketed over the top of her and then a cluster of missiles ignited from their undersides shooting out in front of the Zoids and across Capital City's air space. Leena pulled the comp board up to her face. "Brad! Two Storm Sworders just appeared out of nowhere over Capital City! They fired missiles!"

Brad face came back onto the comp board. He was on some kind of vehicle with Naomi. "What do you mean just out of nowhere?"

Leena frowned. "I'm telling you, they just appeared out of nowhere. Like a Helcat does when it de-cloaks." Leena heard multiple explosions, and then the sound of Capital City emergency sirens cranked up to fill the air.

The video link on Leena's comp board showed Brad looking off to the left of the vehicle. "I just saw the Storm Sworders. It sounds like they might have struck the ZBC Airfield. Where are you at?"

Leena could hear more explosions and the whine of turbines changing direction. She moved over between a Gustav with two Cannon Tortoises stored on its trailers. "I'm halfway into the Zoid Teams parking lot. About three hundred feet from the Hover Cargo." Leena peeked over the rear trailer of the Gustav unit towards her father's Hover Cargo. She caught sight of another avian Zoid as it appeared out of nowhere in the sky. A big avian Zoid. She strained her eyes at the object in mid-air. There was something big on the Zoid's back. As the Zoid descended further out of the sky, Leena's jaw dropped. "Brad. There's another Zoid. It's a Salamander with Gojulas Cannons strapped to it's back."

Brad's eyes widened. "A Salamander with Gojulas Cannons?"

Leena could hear someone talking off her comp board screen at Brad.

Brad shifted his eyes off screen, as the voice continued to talk. "A Salamander Bombvern?" His eyes came back on the screen of Leena's comp board. "Where is the Salamander Bombvern heading?"

Leena looked out over the rear Gustav trailer again. The Salamander had gone downwind and was banking heavily in a turn, reversing it's direction. Leena ducked back behind them. "It's heading right for me."

The image of Brad on Leena's comp board leaned closer. His voice was agitated. "Is there anything between you and the Salamander Bombvern?"

Leena pressed herself against the Gustav Unit's rear trailer and squinted her eyes. "The Hover Cargo!"

Naomi's voice came over Leena's comp board. "Leena, get out of there! It's the Backdraft!"

Leena took a deep breath and pulled away from the Gustav trailer. She froze when the Salamander Bombvern simultaneously fired both of its Gojulas Cannons. The shells ripped down through the air and Leena saw the Hover Cargo buckle, followed by explosions that came out from under the massive transport. It slowly started to fall over on its side in the parking lot towards her.

Her heart pounded, and Leena ran like she had never ran before in her life as the huge Salamander Bombvern let out a piercing scream as it crossed over the top of Leena as she ran. Her ears ached as the sound of the Hover Cargo striking the pavement bellowed through the air. Smoke, and debris rode the shockwave as it passed through her. Leena coughed, pulled the new dress she had just bought from her bag, and put it over her mouth. She couldn't see anything from the smoke, and the fumes caused her eyes to tear up, and distorted her vision.

Leena put her arm out in front of her, and tried to feel her way along the Gustav. She coughed again. Her vision was a mess from the fumes and dust particles that moved along with the cloud of smoke. She took a deep labored breath through the dress. She pulled her face out of the garment. "Help! Somebody help me!" She coughed again, buried her nose into the dress, and took another breath. "Help! Somebody! Please Help!" Leena stumbled, fell forward, and twisted to reach out with her hand to brace herself from the fall. She heard her comp board bounce across the pavement and then something hit her head … hard. The world around her went dark.


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15: Aftershock!

Capital City Battle Control Commander Jasmine Ardent pounded the arm of her chair. "Melanie, where did those Zoids come from?"

Melanie flicked her hands across her keyboard. Her eyes scanned her monitor. "I don't know, Commander. There was nothing on my radar application window, and then they were just there." Melanie studied her screen and then shook her head. "And now they're gone again. It doesn't make any sense."

Commander Ardent leaned forward in her chair. "Tiffany, can we launch our Raynos fleet?"

"Negative, Commander. Reports are coming in from the ZBC Airfield. They are stating heavy damage to the hangar doors, and taxiways from the Storm Sworders missile strike." Tiffany scanned the text scrolling down her computer monitor's screen. "The Airfield is shutdown. I'm also getting reports of a strike on the outskirts of Capital City at the ZBC parking facility for Zoid Teams."

Jasmine tugged at her braided hair that hung over her shoulder. "Jennifer, give me control of Capital City public broadcast. Audio only please."

"Yes, Commander." Jennifer and her subordinates worked their keyboards. "Commander, all audio modules have been loaded. Public broadcast system is active. The call tone has been successfully sent. The system is ready."

Jasmine took a deep breath, and punched the button on her chair. "This is Capital City Zoid Battle Commission Battle Control Commander Ardent. We would ask that Capital City residents and visitors please remain calm, the renegade avian Zoids are no longer in Capital City air space. Please report any additional damage to your area local security authorities, and carry on with your normal daily routine. Thank you."

"Commander?"

Jasmine pulled her glasses from her face and rubbed her eyes. "Yes, Tiffany?"

"I'm getting an updated text report from local security team at the Zoid Team Parking Facility."

"What is it?"

Tiffany stared at her monitor screen. "The security guards claim a Salamander fitted with Gojulas Cannons fired on a Hover Cargo in the parking lot."

Jasmine's eyes widened. _A Bombvern?_ She regained her composure. "Are there any casualties?"

Tiffany's head oscillated as she scanned the text flowing on her monitor. "The security reports say there were a few people in the area. Smoke and debris are inhibiting efforts to locate them. The security guards also state that there is heavy damage to a hover cargo transport. It's on it's side and … they say the Zoid transport might be on fire."

Jasmine jumped up out of her chair, and put her hands on her hips. "Jennifer, can you route video from any local security cameras near the parking area?"

"Just a minute, Commander." Jennifer and her two teammates went to work again on their keyboards. The women opened archived logs, searched for ip addresses, sorted them, and established a link. Jennifer clicked her mouse. "We have a security camera off the corner of the ZBC Motel."

"Denise, route the video to an overhead monitor." Jasmine folded her arms.

Denise opened the control room management software on her computer and entered the ip address into the control software. "Routing video to overhead monitor 2B, Commander."

Jasmine studied the image on the overhead monitor 2B. Smoke billowed out in all directions. The camera on the Motel was a good sixty feet in the air at the center of the billows of smoke. Commander Ardent recognized the panels of what appeared to be a blue and white painted Hover Cargo. And two large holes in the side of the craft near its base.

Denise turned around and faced Jasmine. "Commander, that looks like the Blitz Team's Hover Cargo."

"It is the Blitz Team Hover Cargo."Jasmine frowned. "Melanie, dispatch a Gustav Emergency Response Team right away, and order a squad of Shield Ligers and Red Horns to the parking facility to help with security." She tried to maintain her composure. If the strike at the Airfield was to defer attention for the strike at the Blitz Team Hover Cargo, then she could think of only one group that could have a motive . . . and pull it off. But she had no proof. She sat down in her chair, pulled a headset from a compartment on the side, plugged it into a port on the chair's armrest, and punched a direct-dial number on the chair's keypad.

The call connected and a voice immediately spoke. "Commander Ardent. I was hoping I wouldn't hear from you about this incident."

Jasmine kept her voice low. "Admiral Braimen, it would appear that the Backdraft is on the rise again."

"Do we have any proof, Commander?"

Jasmine pulled the headset microphone close to her mouth and spoke softly. "A woman's intuition for now, Admiral."

"That's good enough for me. I'll set up a meeting with ZBC Head Command tomorrow morning."

Jasmine's eyes scanned the monitor showing the Blitz Team Hover Cargo on it's side. Smoke billowed out of it. "Yes, sir. A couple of other things, sir."

"Yes, Commander?"

"A Salamander Bombvern was sighted during the attack. And … it would appear that one of the targets was the Blitz Team Hover Cargo, sir."

Jasmine waited. There was a long pause, and she wondered which news was worse for Braimen. She had come to respect the Admiral for his service to the ZBC, and she figured she had just managed to completely ruin his day. But protocol was protocol, and Capital City's ZBC Admiral is required to know these things as soon as possible. Policy was unforgiving like that.

Braimen's voice came through the headset. "Any casualties?"

Jasmine spun her chair around such that her subordinates were behind her. She kept her voice low. "I've sent a Gustav Emergency Response Unit to the Zoid team parking area. So far, on site security reports haven't confirmed anything, but it is still unknown."

Braimen's voice was slow. "Understood, Command Ardent. I'll expect a full report in the morning."

"Of course, Admiral Braimen." Jasmine terminated the call. Her eyes scanned the clock on the wall next to the monitor array. A shift change was coming in ten minutes to relieve her, and her command staff from their twelve-hour day, and Jasmine couldn't think of a time when her day ended so badly. "I need my comp board . . . and a drink."

Melanie turned around in her chair. "Commander, there's an update from the security team at the Zoids Team Parking Facility. They say there is definitely a fire in the Blitz Team Hover Cargo."

Jasmine pulled the glasses away from her face and rubbed her nose.


End file.
